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[M][C/Alina] Ridin' with the Pride

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park

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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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7,240 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
[M][C/Alina] Ridin' with the Pride
POSTED ON Oct 31, 2024 1:32:16 GMT
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Once the fighting at Petalburg had calmed down, Josh was relieved to be able to get into the tail end of the Mauville Rangers' busy season. It was growing too cold to keep the Gym's aquatic courses open, and only the most intrepid challengers not afraid of the cold would challenge him during the region's cooler months. Or cold ones, depending on how vindictive Kyurem was feeling any given winter. Frost was more common north of the Great Desert, but it did occasionally creep toward the Mauville area during the winter.

The Master of Faster wanted to enjoy the last bit of fair weather before it really started to cool down. And what better way to do that than to show the ropes to Rookie Ranger ?

Standing next to Kovu's side, Josh ran his hands through the Shiny and Illumina Pyroar's regal, golden fur, the king of the racer's pride looking happy as ever to get outside the Gym grounds. He looked well-behaved, too, his saddle and reins looking as natural as ones a horse Pokémon could wear. All of Josh's big cats were adorned with similar gear, the Mauville Rangers' logo emblazoned upon their saddles. It was as though the fire-type predators were meant to ferry humans around!

Accompanying him were three more Pyroar. Two males stood near the Illumina king. The first was a muscular male named Mufasa. A gift from , the lion could be a bit battle-crazed at times, but he was still a very reliable Ranger Pokémon. Second was Kion, the world record holder for sustained land speed among Pokémon of his species. A female stood behind them in the rear guard, next to Josh's Type: Null, Aleph. Sarabi was the female's name, and she was by far the tallest of the four lions. She was so tall that Josh had to look up to her face. All three Pyroar were quite a bit larger than typical for their species, but Sarabi in particular stood out.

The pride and their trainer were not far from Mauville's north gate. "Ready for your first rescue, Alina?" the Elite Ranger asked his new apprentice, who might have had a hard time hearing him over Kion's loud purr that visibly ruffled his fur. "When you're ready, let's saddle up, and I'll show you the ropes!" Those were some powerful lungs he had!








{PC: 1}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Swift         Raikou         Good
Mufasa        Pyroar         Good
Kovu          Pyroar**       Good
Kion          Pyroar         Good
Sarabi        Pyroar         Good
Aleph         Type: Null     Good
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played by

plum

she/her
25
july 11
olivine city
bisexual
ranger
5'5 height
5'5 height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
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33 posts
Alina Hamako DOLLARS
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Alina Hamako
[M][C/Alina] Ridin' with the Pride
POSTED ON Nov 1, 2024 6:00:38 GMT
Alina Hamako Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","alina"]
[attr="class","body"]

alina smiles meekly at the gym leader as he tends to his pride, biting her lip out of habit as she tries to temper her nerves. the young ranger had been so ecstatic to carry out her first mission in field, finally practicing what she learned in the classroom. she had assumed it would be a low-stakes task of rescuing the common injured hiker, as it didn't seem likely that HQ would start off a rookie with anything hard-core. upon reaching her destination, however, she was greeted with four majestic felines that each towered over her a little more than the next. suddenly, things didn't seem so low-stakes anymore. [break][break]

she leans over to catch josh's words amidst the rumbling purrs of the pyroar, making sure to not invade into its personal space. despite the anxiety that threatened to chip her away, alina knew how important today was - it wasn't everyday that rookies like herself had an opportunity to watch and learn from one of the most experienced rangers on the grid. it was vital she made the most out of it. [break][break]

"sounds good." alina says as she steps back to analyze the pride. each of the three pokemon looked overwhelming in their own respective ways, but after taking a few moments to herself, she steps closer to the second pyroar: kion. he seemed the least intimidating out of the bunch, but little did she know what he was capable of. [break][break]

taking a deep breath, the ranger braces herself and swings her leg over the feline. okay, that was easy enough, she reassures herself, the tension loosening its grip on her chest. alina redirects her attention back towards josh. "thank you for accompanying me out here today. i've heard a lot about you and am sure i have a lot to learn."



[break][break]

NOTES


- n/a






[attr="class","pkmn"]







[attr="class","credit"]
MADE BY GUNSMILE




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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
awards
7,240 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
[M][C/Alina] Ridin' with the Pride
POSTED ON Nov 1, 2024 20:58:26 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
Once Josh was certain of Alina's balance on Kion's large saddle designed to mitigate the jostling from his powerful, flexing spine, he would begin. "Controlling a Pokémon mount is simple," the veteran assured Alina as he climbed onto Kovu's back, the Illumina Pyrpar dimming his natural lights. "His reins are what you pull on to control his direction. Pull on them in the direction you want him to turn. The harder you pull, the faster he'll turn. If you need to reverse course quickly, you can pull back on both of them at the same time. Just be careful and ready for him to rear." He gave a demonstration of the abrupt maneuver to set expectations, the Pyroar standing on his hind legs and roaring for a split second before sharply turning around.

"Second, you can control your mount's speed with your legs. Squeeze Kion's sides tighter to speed up, and ease that pressure to slow down. Just try to be careful -- if you squeeze him too hard, he'll go way faster than a horse Pokémon." He wasn't kidding, either; the jungle predators were fast, even in the wild. Under Josh's guidance, they were among the fastest feline Pokémon in the world. "Think you got it?"








{PC: 2}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Swift         Raikou         Good
Mufasa        Pyroar         Good
Kovu          Pyroar**       Good
Kion          Pyroar         Good
Sarabi        Pyroar         Good
Aleph         Type: Null     Good
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played by

plum

she/her
25
july 11
olivine city
bisexual
ranger
5'5 height
5'5 height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
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33 posts
Alina Hamako DOLLARS
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TAG WITH @alina
Alina Hamako
[M][C/Alina] Ridin' with the Pride
POSTED ON Nov 5, 2024 6:39:04 GMT
Alina Hamako Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","alina"]
[attr="class","body"]

simple, he says, and then proceeds to tell her that putting too much pressure on her mount would result in them flying at over 30 miles a hour. great! alina swallows nervously at the mere thought, stopping herself from wiping her hands against her pants. she knows this is what ranger work was about, handling new situations on the fly, but oh, how she wished she had a handbook or something that she could've studied prior. instead, she weakly attempts to rapid-fire the information in her brain. maybe chanting the steps in her head would magically translate to her body...[break][break]

ultimately, though, she gives josh the nod of confirmation. "okay, buddy," alina says quietly to the feline, gently patting the side of his neck. she takes a deep breath to still herself, and squeezes her legs to initiate movement. [break][break]

the pair starts off at a slow trot - trot was generous, really. it was more of a fast walk, if you will. alina glances at the veteran ranger a little sheepishly. she wants to pick up the speed more quickly - she'd hate to keep josh waiting - but she can't. her legs seem to refuse to budge closer to the pyroar at a faster rate, no matter how much she wills herself to. instead, it takes the young woman a few minutes each time before she musters enough courage to apply more pressure, and she catches herself muttering multiple sorry's and thanks for waiting's in the process.[break][break]

by the time alina was properly feeling the wind skimming past her cheek, it felt like an eternity had passed. she glances towards josh again, eyes more confident but nevertheless still apologetic. "i'm sorry this took me so long," she said, raising her voice to be heard over the thumping paws. "gosh. i've got to have the record for longest hiker rescue ever, huh?" the woman tries to joke, gaze flickering back towards their main path. 


[break][break]

NOTES


- n/a






[attr="class","pkmn"]







[attr="class","credit"]
MADE BY GUNSMILE




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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
awards
7,240 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
[M][C/Alina] Ridin' with the Pride
POSTED ON Nov 8, 2024 4:29:58 GMT
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From how slow she was to accelerate Kion past a trot, Josh felt Alina was nervous about the trot-to-canter transition. It was one of the most frightening parts of riding a big cat Pokémon for those who had no idea what to expect. Even for new riders of horse Pokémon, the sensation of moving slightly from side to side to bouncing up and down on a stable back was jarring. A big cat's body was designed for burst speed, and their flexing backs showed it. Even at the lowest speeds necessitating full strides from the Pyroar, Kion's gait was far bouncier than even the strongest equine Pokémon.

"No sweat, Alina! How are you adapting to Kion?" Josh asked, riding alongside her on Kovu's back and keeping an eye on her posture and how she held the reins. "Once you get used to it, we'll be there in no time!" Unlike most Pyroar, these were meant for racing. Whether they had more endurance than wild Pyroar or they could reach higher top speeds than ones in the open, it was his pride's expertise -- one very useful in higher stakes situations. This one was not; their victim was stable and out of danger. "We have time. The guy's not in danger. He just can't get back to Mauville on his own." It was a perfect rescue for a first timer. The stakes were low, there was no sign of injury, and the threat of a wild Pokémon seemed minimal. It was less a rescue and an escort.








{PC: 3}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Swift         Raikou         Good
Mufasa        Pyroar         Good
Kovu          Pyroar**       Good
Kion          Pyroar         Good
Sarabi        Pyroar         Good
Aleph         Type: Null     Good
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played by

plum

she/her
25
july 11
olivine city
bisexual
ranger
5'5 height
5'5 height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
awards
33 posts
Alina Hamako DOLLARS
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TAG WITH @alina
Alina Hamako
[M][C/Alina] Ridin' with the Pride
POSTED ON Nov 13, 2024 4:44:20 GMT
Alina Hamako Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","alina"]
[attr="class","body"]

upon realizing that the mission wasn't urgent, alina let out a sigh of relief, and with it some of the tension she carried. her shoulders dropped, her jaw unclenched, her grip loosened. this newfound ease gently coaxed her away from her fear to focus on her posture instead, allowing her to connect more closely with the pokemon below her. [break][break]

"it's just as challenging as i expected, but i'm doing alright, i think." the young ranger says while she squeezes her legs a little further. she gulps as the pyroar picks up speed, feeling her heart somersault with the increasing arch of the feline's back. her grip tightens again as she instinctively leans closer towards the pyroar, hoping the slight adjustment would prevent her from flinging out.[break][break]

a few large strides later, the pair was finally near a gallop. her locks flow behind her carelessly as they speed ahead, and for a moment, alina closes her eyes. it was nice once she eased into the speed. freeing, even. [break][break]

"i'm not to the point where i find this fun quite yet, but i can see why some people take on pokemon-riding as a sport now." she calls out, relaxed enough to initiate a conversation. 


[break][break]

NOTES


- n/a






[attr="class","pkmn"]



[attr="class","credit"]
MADE BY GUNSMILE




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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
awards
7,240 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
[M][C/Alina] Ridin' with the Pride
POSTED ON Nov 13, 2024 9:22:48 GMT
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Josh was impressed with Alina's posture, seeing her instinctively lean in as the Pyroar ran faster and faster. While Kion and Kovu were far from racing speeds, their gallop proper was no laughing matter. The wind howled around them as the road to the desert flew by, Kion letting out a massaging purr of approval that he hoped would relax Alina rather than startle her.

"To most, it's less a sport and more a hobby," Josh added. "And it's just plain useful, with how wild Hoenn's terrain can be." Hoenn was one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. There were forests that flying Pokémon couldn't fly within. There were bogs that most water Pokémon couldn't swim through. There were peaks that a Pokémon with good jumping capabilities would help traverse. With the right Pokémon, one could take a decommissioned back road and travel between cities faster than legal highway driving speeds. The very Pyroar that Alina sat astride could demonstrate those kinds of speeds to her, if she desired. "Before I became Mauville's Gym Leader, I used to be a semi-professional Pokémon racer. Now, I've implemented that into my Gym."








{PC: 4}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Swift         Raikou         Good
Mufasa        Pyroar         Good
Kovu          Pyroar**       Good
Kion          Pyroar         Good
Sarabi        Pyroar         Good
Aleph         Type: Null     Good
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